


The Grab Bag

by Ailelie, Cinaed



Series: Enduring Legends [22]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: F/M, Flashback, Het and Slash, M/M, Male-Female Friendship, No season 4 spoilers, Party, Presents, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-18
Updated: 2011-12-18
Packaged: 2017-10-27 13:16:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/296252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ailelie/pseuds/Ailelie, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cinaed/pseuds/Cinaed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>Sunday, December 18 2011</i></p><p>In which the entire group celebrates an early Christmas.</p><p>(Gwen/Arthur, Elle/Gavin, Ambrose/David)</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Grab Bag

_Sunday, December 18, 2011_

Elliot hesitated just outside the door, frowning. Maybe he should just go back to his apartment. He was certain there was a box or two he hadn’t unpacked yet. That might be better than entering a house filled with mostly strangers, most of whom seemed to know him from another life. Gavin had probably invited him and Percy on a whim, anyways; he wouldn’t mind if Elliot didn’t show.

His head hurt a little from dreams of places he had never traveled, the feel of a smith’s hammer in his hand, the weight of a sword in his hand as he fought faceless enemies.  

How was it, he thought a trifle sourly, that only yesterday morning his life had been _normal_? Normal, that was, until Gwen had showed up at his apartment, most of the color gone from her face, and said that she needed to talk to him.

 **Saturday, December 17, 2011**

“Remember how Arthur and I know so many of the same people?” Gwen asked. She was standing in front of him, her arms folded against her chest, a look of determination on her face.

“Yeah, that was a little weird,” Elliot said, leaning back on the couch and nodding. “I mean, I thought this city was supposed to be huge, but here you are, knowing most of his--”

“It wasn’t a coincidence,” Gwen interrupted him. When he blinked at her, she looked faintly apologetic but continued, “Since the Sunday after Thanksgiving I’ve been having…dreams. Dreams that turn out to be memories of a past life. I think maybe we were all drawn to each other somehow. Maybe we are in every life. I don’t know. We’re still figuring things out, to be honest.”

Elliot started to laugh, certain that Gwen was joking -- she’d never believed in any of that hocus-pocus stuff before -- but her earnest expression trapped the laughter in his throat. “Past lives,” he said. “As in, reincarnation, fate, all that stuff?”

“Elliot, I knew Arthur before I met him,” Gwen said hoarsely. She met his gaze, her eyes shining wetly. She was trying not to cry, he realized, and instinctively moved forward, jumping to his feet and wrapping his arms around her. She pressed her hot face into his neck, took in a shuddering breath. “I know it sounds crazy,” she said, a little muffled, “but we’re all experiencing it-- me, Arthur, Ambrose, David, Gavin….”

“Okay, Gwen, it’s okay, I’m listening,” Elliot said, holding onto her and feeling useless. Anyone else he would have written off as a raving lunatic, but this was _Gwen_. Smart, sensible Gwen who had more common sense in her pinkie finger than Elliot did in his whole body.

“No, it’s not,” she said. “If you don’t believe me, how will I convince my dad I’m not having a breakdown?”

“You’ll figure out a way to tell him,” Elliot said. “You’re the smartest person I know. Besides, you’re the center of your dad’s universe. He’ll believe you in the end, no matter what.”

“Thanks,” Gwen said, and took another deep breath. After a moment she lifted her head and offered him a shaky smile. “Thanks,” she said again and hugged him.

“We Smiths have to stick together,” he reminded her with a laugh.

Her expression softened. “It’s more than that, Elliot,” she said, pressing her hand to his cheek. The warm metal of her ring pressed lightly into his skin as she kissed his free cheek and continued, “You’re family. You’re the brother I never had. Even when you vanished off to exotic places, you’ve tried to be there for me for the important things.”

 _So you won’t be mad when I tell you I pulled the protective older brother act on Arthur after the basketball game?_ Elliot started to ask, but the words caught in his throat, and instead what came out was, “I meant to get in touch. It just never seemed like the right moment.” He blinked, puzzled. That hadn’t been what he’d meant to say. And it hadn’t been something he’d say either-- he’d kept in touch over years, mostly, through email when there was a place with an internet connection and the occasional phone call when he could afford to call home.

Gwen was watching him with widened eyes. “Oh, no,” she whispered, taking a step back and clapping her hand to her lips. “Oh, Ely-- oh, Elliot, I’m sorry! I really didn’t remember! I swear! I wouldn’t have told you about this if I had!”

“Remember what?” Elliot said, frowning. “I just meant that I--” He stopped, shaking his head. He’d been about to say something, but it’d slipped away. “Look, Gwen, that all sounds a little weird, but as far as I know, insanity isn’t catching. If you and the others are experiencing the same memories, I guess that means…Gwen, why are you looking at me like that?”

Gwen still had her hand over her mouth, but the half-giggle, half-sound of dismay had escaped her nonetheless. “I’m really sorry,” she said, her expression struggling between consternation and amusement. “I just-- I didn’t know you were _Elyan_.”

“Elyan?” Elliot said blankly, even as recognition shuddered through him like an ice-cube sliding down his spine. He shuddered a little, shook his head. “Who’s Elyan?”

Gwen took a deep breath. “Guinevere’s brother.”

 **Present**

“Elliot?” a deep voice rumbled behind him.

Elliot turned and looked up. And then up some more, because it was Percy from the basketball game. Elliot felt a little relieved at the sight of him. As far as he knew, Percy hadn’t been told about this reincarnation weirdness, and was as new to the group as he was.

“Hey,” he said, grinning. He jerked his head towards the door. “Did you want to knock, or should I?”

Percy shrugged. “Could use the doorbell,” he suggested with a slight smile on his lips.

“Right, the doorbell. Good plan,” Elliot said, blinking at the very obvious doorbell that had somehow escaped his notice before, and pressed the button.

A few seconds later the door opened and a man in his late sixties, early seventies smiled out at them. He raised his white brows a little at the sight of Percy, but all he said was, “I’m Adam. You must be Elliot and Percy.” He stepped to the side, waving them in. “It’s nice to meet you both. Please, come inside.”

They both entered, Percy shaking Adam’s hand first, then Elliot following suit. “Thank you for letting us have the party at your house,” Elliot said. Gavin hadn’t really explained who Adam was, aside from Ambrose’s landlord. Gwen had mentioned that Adam was an old friend of her mother’s, though, so he had to be a good guy.

Adam snorted. “Nonsense, it was my pleasure. I enjoy having guests. Everyone is in the kitchen right now. Something about having a toast to start off the party once everyone’s arrived.” He held his hands out. “I’ll take the gifts and put them with the others, if you’d like.”

“Are we the last ones?” Elliot asked, handing his present over.

Adam nodded, whisking the presents away.

The kitchen was too small to fit nine people, especially not when one of those nine happened to be a giant, but somehow everyone squeezed in there nonetheless, bumping elbows and laughing.

“Elliot!” Gwen said, smiling at him. There was a crease between her eyes, though, and a tentative note in her voice as she said, “I thought you weren’t coming.”

Elliot laughed and shook his head. “You can’t get rid of me that easily,” he said, watching understanding and thankfulness light up her face, and then turned to Gavin, who seemed to be serving drinks. “What’re we having?”

“A Christmas surprise,” Gavin said, waggling his eyebrows as everyone laughed. He poured something bright red into a plastic cup and passed it through the group until Arthur pressed it into Elliot’s hand.

“Thanks,” Elliot said. He grinned at Elle, who offered him a wave and cheerful grin. She hadn’t changed much since the last time he’d seen her, when he’d surprised Gwen with a visit to her apartment when she was still pre-med. If anything, Elle seemed even more alive, first leaning against Gavin, and then dancing a little in place, humming a tune Elliot couldn’t make out over the simultaneous conversations in the room. He wondered at the joy spilling over in her smile, then remembered what Gwen had mentioned as she’d left the night before.

“Elle!” he said, and repeated her name until she glanced his way again. He grinned. “I hear congratulations are in order.”

Elle beamed. “Yes, they are!” She held her hand up and sighed, looking soft-eyed at her ring finger. She must have caught Elliot’s puzzled look, and laughed, wiggling her bare fingers at him. “Oh, there’s no ring yet. I’m just having fun imagining one,” she explained as Gavin flushed a little and cleared his throat.

Soon everyone had a plastic cup. Together, the group lifted their drinks towards the ceiling. “To December 18th,” Ambrose said solemnly, and then laughed as David shook his head at him. “Okay, to Christmas and friends!”

“To Christmas and friends!” everyone chorused and tapped their cups together.

Whatever concoction Gavin had made was strong; it burned Elliot’s throat and left his lips tingling. “Shit,” he gasped. “What’s in this, vodka with red dye?”

Gavin tapped the side of his nose and looked solemn. “A bartender never reveals his recipes.”

“What? Most bars have their drink ingredients right on the menu!” Ambrose argued.

“Yes, well, you would know,” Arthur said.

Ambrose rolled his eyes. “For the last time, Arthur, I wasn’t an alcoholic in college. I just really liked that bar’s food options,” he said. Ambrose leaned back against David, who smiled softly and wrapped an arm around Ambrose’s waist. Ambrose tilted his head up to inform David, “They had these _amazing_ sandwiches, chicken seasoned with--”

“No one cares, Ambrose,” Arthur sighed.

“Maybe we can go there the next time your football team has homecoming,” David said, ignoring Arthur in favor of grinning at Ambrose. “Bring everyone, see your university. Shea’s never been to a college game before.”

Two spots of color appeared in Ambrose’s face. “Really? I think you’d love the place’s barbeque--”

Arthur raised his voice. “Okay, let’s head out to the living room where there’s a bit more space.”

Gavin saluted him. “Yes, sir,” he said solemnly, only the slight twitch of his lips betraying his amusement.

Arthur made a face at him. “Funny,” he muttered.

Elliot’s head hurt. It was one thing to know, objectively, that your best friend was the reincarnation of Queen Guinevere. It was quite another thing, he found, to be standing in a room surrounded by people with past lives straight out of legend— Sir Gawain, King Arthur, Lancelot, _Merlin_ \--

“You okay?” Percy asked.

Elliot blinked. His fingers were wet. He looked down, realizing he’d crumpled his plastic cup and the drink had spilled onto his hand and the floor. “Uh, yes, sorry,” he said, grabbing a paper towel. “Just didn’t get much sleep last night.”

“Gwen said you’re new to the city,” Percy said. When Elliot nodded, Percy offered, “Whenever I come back here, it takes a few days to get used to the noise and traffic. You’ll get used to it too.”

Elliot resisted the urge to laugh. Percy was trying to be nice, he knew, but the guy had no idea what was going on. “Thanks,” he said, busying himself with wiping up the drink. “Maybe I’ll buy one of those soothing music CDs to drown out the sirens.”

Percy shrugged. “Might be a good idea.” He ducked as he went out of the kitchen and through the dining room to the living room.

When Elliot got out there, Elle was clapping her hands and exclaiming, “Can we do the grab bag first? _Please_? I love seeing everyone’s expressions as they get their presents!”

“You just want your present,” Gwen objected, laughing.

“That is just an extra bonus,” Elle said with a haughty sniff, and then turned an imploring look upon Elliot. “Elliot! You agree with me, right? Presents first, then food?”

“Uh, sure,” Elliot said, and Elle beamed at him.

“Now Arthur, remember, the price limit on the gift was $30,” Ambrose began, and grinned when Arthur rolled his eyes.

“Next time I’ll just buy you socks or something stupid,” Arthur warned him.

Ambrose hummed something off-key, looking thoughtful. “I heard there are these nice socks by Rodarte that are a mere $500 a pair,” he began. He snickered when Arthur flipped him off.

“Okay, everyone have a seat,” Adam said, emerging from somewhere with a large bag. “We’ll go in a circle. If you get your present, you just put it back and try again.”

Everyone sat down. David and Ambrose shared a love seat. Gwen and Arthur sat together on the couch, darting quick, nervous glances at each other. Gavin sat in one of the single chairs, Elle perching on the armrest and letting her feet rest in Gavin’s laps.

Elliot shared a sympathetic look with Percy. So not only were they the outsiders, they were the _single_ outsiders. That was fun. After a moment he shrugged and sat down on the floor, cross-legged next to the couch. Percy sat next to him, folding his legs under him awkwardly. It took him a moment to settle, grimacing a little as he did so.

Adam offered the bag first to Elliot, much to his surprise.

“Uh, thanks,” Elliot said, and stuck his arm in the bag, rummaging around until he caught hold of a smallish-sized box. He pulled it out, grinning at silver snowflakes decorating the outside. When he opened it, he couldn’t help but laugh. “Well, I guess someone has a sense of humor,” he remarked dryly as he pulled out the book on Arthurian legends and showed it to everyone.

Everyone but Percy either laughed or groaned; Percy smiled, leaning closer to Elliot to look at the book.

“I used to like reading about King Arthur when I was a kid,” he muttered.

“Oh, really?” Gavin asked, sounding too innocent. Elliot glanced at him in time to catch the mischievous gleam in his eyes as Gavin asked, “Which knight was your favorite?”

“Gavin!” Elle objected, laughing.

Gavin ignored her, persisting, “Well?”

Percy fidgeted a little under everyone’s intent looks. “I liked Bors,” he said at last.

There was a pause. “Who the hell is Bors?” Gavin asked blankly.

Ambrose, meanwhile, grinned. “Bors! He went with Galahad, Lancelot, and Percival on the quest for the Grail. And I think also helped Lancelot to save Guinevere when, er, she was going to be executed….” He trailed off, looking a little uncomfortable.

Percy nodded. “I liked him,” he said. “Wasn’t perfect, but he was a good knight and a good man.”

“Did you like Percival?” Gwen asked quickly, having tensed a little at the mention of Guinevere’s close brush with death.

Percy shrugged. “Reading about someone with a name close to mine was weird,” he said.

Adam turned to Gwen next. She held up two free movie tickets and darted a quick, hopeful look at Arthur. “I think I’ll put these to good use,” she said with a smile as Arthur flushed.

Elliot relaxed a little. He’d figured he couldn’t go wrong with movie tickets, but it was nice to be proved right.

Next, Arthur’s gift turned out to be a black and white scarf.

Adam continued around the circle until at last he came to a stop in front of Percy. “Last but not least,” he said with a chuckle. “I’m afraid you don’t get much of a choice, Percy.”

Percy shrugged, looking unperturbed. “I’m sure I’ll like it,” he said, reaching into the bag and pulling out a box. He opened it and squinted for a moment before he pulled out a red book.

“The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Life,” Ambrose read, his lips twitching. “Well, that should come in handy."

“Maybe,” Percy said, and flipped it open. He chuckled. “They’ve got something about when a wolf pack attacks you. Not much chance of that--” He stopped abruptly, all color draining from his face.

“Percy?” Elliot asked. When Percy continued to stare at the book, a muscle jumping in his jaw, a focused expression on his face, Elliot reached up and shook Percy’s shoulder.  “Percy, you all right?”

Percy gave a full-body shudder, blinking. “What?” he mumbled. When he turned to look at Elliot, he still looked a little dazed.

“You okay?” Elliot asked. “You sort of froze up there.”

Percy nodded and frowned. “It was weird,” he said after a moment. “I was reading, and there was this flash, like a wolf was here, and he--” He nodded towards David, who had gone a little pale himself. “--was shouting at me to run, but I grabbed a huge branch from the bonfire and charged the wolves….”

Elliot saw that Percy’s pupils had nearly swallowed his irises. His pupils were beginning to shrink back to normal size, but something had shocked Percy badly, and Elliot had a sinking feeling he knew what. 

“Gwen,” he said, “let me guess--”

Gwen had her head buried in her hands. “It was a gift for anyone,” she said a little helplessly. “The first few presents were special, but the gumball necklace was a _joke_ , and we're not even mentioning the handkerchief and the hug, and now someone reacts to a _grab bag_ present? What's next, I look at someone funny and it brings back their memories?”

“Memories?” Percy said, baffled.

David sighed. “Come on,” he said, disentangling himself from Ambrose and getting to his feet. “Let’s find someplace quiet and I can explain.”

“Okay,” Percy said slowly, and followed David out of the room and presumably to one of the bedrooms.

There was a long, uncomfortable pause. “Guess that means he really _is_ Percival,” Gavin said. He squinted thoughtfully at Elliot. “So you--”

Elliot shrugged. “Guinevere’s brother, apparently.”

“That’s it!” Elle’s unexpected yell made everyone jump. When Elliot looked at her, he saw the splotches of fury on her face, the way her hands were shaking as she folded her arms against her chest and leaped off the armrest. “So everyone’s remembering now, that’s great! Oh, Gwen’s childhood friend is actually her brother from the past life? Cool! Oh, Gwen’s friends are Lancelot and Merlin and Arthur and Gawain? Even better! Oh, this random stranger Lancelot brought from out of town is Percival? That’s amazing!”

Elle’s voice cracked a little and she flinched away when Gavin reached for her. “I’ll just leave you all to your reminiscing,” she snapped, and stomped through the dining room, slamming the kitchen door behind her with enough force that it banged back open.

Now the silence was even more uncomfortable. “I’ll go,” Gavin said, but Gwen shook her head.

“This all seems to be my fault,” she said a little wearily. “I’ll talk to her.”

Gwen disappeared through the kitchen door. She left the door ajar. From his position on the floor, Elliot could see Gwen wrap her arms around Elle and hug her, see Elle stiffen in her arms for a moment and then hug her back. If they were whispering anything to each other, no one in the living room could make out their discussion.

Gradually, though, Elliot could see Elle relax until she stepped away from Gwen and wiped at her eyes.

“Come on, you’ll feel better after a drink,” Gwen said, voice loud and bright enough to reach everyone’s ears.

More faintly came Elle’s, “Like you know anything about mixing drinks.”

“Fine, watch me mix you poison,” Gwen retorted. From what Elliot could see, she was just grabbing random bottles of alcohol and pouring a little into one glass. It was probably going to taste horrible.

“Did you just put some tea in my drink?” Elle asked a little louder, letting out a watery laugh. “That really is going to be poison!”

“Double, double,” Gwen began, and Elle went into a fit of laughter and snatched the drink from her.

“If I die, I’m coming back like Banquo,” she warned Gwen, lifting the glass to her lips. “I--”

Gwen moved in front of Elle then, blocking Elliot’s view of her, but everyone heard the sound of glass shattering.

Gavin was off to the kitchen like a shot. “Elle!”

“Sorry,” she said. When Elliot joined the mad rush to the kitchen, he found her pale and a little shaky on her feet. “I got dizzy and knocked one of the wine bottles off the table. I’ll clean it up!”

“ _I_ ’ll clean it up,” Adam said sternly. “Go and sit down.”

“But I’m fine!” Elle protested. It was not very convincing, not when she looked a little green. “I just--” She closed her eyes, took in a breath. She threw her arms around Gavin’s neck and looked up at him. “Will you still marry me even if I’m not Ragnelle?” she asked. Elliot couldn’t read her expression, whether it was teasing or in deadly earnest.  

“Elle, I’d marry you even if you turned out to be Mordred,” he announced grandly, but the softness in his face revealed his sincerity.

“That’s sweet. Weird, but sweet,” she said. Her eyes narrowed and she searched his face as she asked, “How about if I ate live frogs?”

Gavin blinked, staring at her for a second. Then he chuckled. “We can always move to France,” he said.

“I didn’t mean I want live frogs _now_ ,” Elle protested, leaning up to kiss him. Some of the greenish pallor had left her face at his declaration. “Or ever, because ew. I’m not Mordred, by the way,” she added once she broke the kiss. “Apparently, I was royalty. The princess Elena.” She shrugged, looking a little uncomfortable. “Nobody I’ve seen in any of the legends, but then again, most of the legends say that Guinevere and Lancelot were born to royalty. Shows what _they_ know.”   

Gavin kissed her again, hands steady on her waist, and Elliot thought he heard him mutter, “I would’ve married you even if you’d turned out to be a brand-new soul, you know.”

“I do,” Elle said, and smiled, most of the discomfort leaving her wan features.

Percy came into the room, looking a little dazed. “So,” he said. “Knights and magic?”

Arthur nudged Ambrose with his elbow. “Show him some magic,” he demanded as Ambrose rolled his eyes.

“Is that my job now? Doing magic and convincing everyone?” he complained before he muttered something under his breath. Instantly the garbage can’s top lifted and the shattered glass rose from the floor and flew into the garbage, well away from anyone in the room.

Percy blinked, his expression unreadable. “Interesting,” he said at last.

The party continued for a while after that, mostly everyone discussing what memories they remembered as they ate the food that Adam had prepared. Adam sat at the kitchen table, looking a little amused at them all. Once the party began to wind down, Adam cleared his throat. “If anyone is free on Christmas Eve, this is my official invitation to come back here and enjoy a meal.”

Gavin grinned. “That’s nice of you, but it’d be a little weird to be here when Ambrose isn’t,” he said.

“Oh,” Ambrose said, flushing. “David and I are staying here.”

“What?” Arthur said. “Since when?”

“Well, Gwen’s father is coming here, and I thought that I should stay in the city until we get things figured out a bit more. And once I’ve done some more experiments with my magic,” Ambrose explained. “So we’ll be spending Christmas Eve with Adam.”

“Thank you, Adam,” Gwen said smiling. “But Elliot and I already have plans with my dad.”

Elle glanced at Gavin and then shrugged. “If you want to go, I’m game,” she said. “My family Christmas Eve tradition is going to the movies, and I was outvoted on what we were seeing. I’d much prefer dinner here to the new Mission Impossible movie.”

“What did you want to see?” David asked, curious.

“Anything but Mission Impossible or the Chipmunks movie,” Elle said fervently.

Gavin grinned and draped his arm across Elle’s shoulders. “Then we’re happy to come.”

“My family and I are going to Christmas Eve service,” Percy said. “But thanks.”

“My father always throws an enormous party,” Arthur said with a sigh. “No way of avoiding it, unfortunately.”

“Glad I got out of that one,” Ambrose said in a loud mutter, and ducked the swat Arthur directed at him. “What? Like your father doesn’t ruin Christmas Eve for everyone!”

“Shut up, Ambrose,” Arthur said wearily. He hesitated, glancing at Gwen. “Actually, Gwen, I was hoping to speak to you in private….”

“Okay,” Gwen said, blushing.

“Gwen and Arthur sitting in a tree,” Ambrose began to sing, and then blinked as David clamped his hand over Ambrose’s mouth. When he blinked in surprise, David smiled apologetically at him.

“Sorry, but you are completely tone-deaf,” David said.

Ambrose made a protesting sound against David’s hand.

“You really are,” Adam agreed, and Ambrose rolled his eyes.

“Well, I should get going. Need to catch a taxi back,” Elliot said. “Thank you. It was fun if a little…weird.”

“It was nice meeting you,” Adam said, smiling.

The air was cold and hit his face like a slap as Elliot stepped outside, tucking the book of Arthurian legends under his arm. After a moment’s consideration, he pulled out his cell phone and texted Gwen.

 _Did he ask you out?_

A second later, his cell buzzed in his hand.

 _None of your business!!_

 _And yes. Tuesday night! :) :)_

**Author's Note:**

> Written by Cinaed and beta-read by Ailelie.
> 
> Elliot's remembered dialogue is from "The Castle of Fryien."


End file.
